Musical instrument



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E. R. NOROROSS. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 403,481. Patented May 14, 1889.

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E. R. NORGROSS.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. No. 403,481. Patented May 14, 1889.

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No. 403.481. Patented May 14, 1889.

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EDVIN RANSON NORCROSS, OF FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,481, dated May 14, 1889.

Application filed December 20, 1888. Serial No. 294,196. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN RANsoN NoR- CROss, a citizen of the United States, and a resi dent of Fayetteville, in the county of Tashington and State of Arkansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention, reference heilig had to the accompanying' drawings, and to the letters or iigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in nin sical instruments; and it consists, essentially, of an upright case or receptacle, not unlike that of an upright piano, having strings arranged perpendicularly therein, like the strings ot' a harp, which are adapted to be operated by keys similar to those on the ordinary piano-board, each of said keys being provided with a picking-[niger for each string, and said picking-iingers having a motion correspond ing to that which would be made by the iinger of a persons hand in picking a harp or guitar, giving equally as tine a tone, the lower part of the said instrument being provided with pedals to give the full twelve transpositions of the musical scale, all as will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically designated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a front elevation of my complete invention; Fig. a rearview; Fig. 3, a vertical section taken through the center of the instrument; Fig. 4, a detail view of the picking mechanism; and Fig. 5, a detail view of the niutes, frets, or stops. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the picker and its connections.

Similar letters of reference occurring on the several iigures indicate like parts.

Referring to the said drawings, the letter A represents the outer casing, which, as above stated, is constructed somewhat similar to that of an upright piano. The key-board B, comprising a series of keys, b, is similar to those on a piano or organ, the inner ends of the keys being fulcrumed on a horizontal crosspiece, ZJ', resting on the frame.

The picking mechanism is constructed and arranged as follows: A series of stationary hangers, C, is secured. to the under side ot' a cross-bar, c, located some distance above the inner ends of the keys. In these hangers C are loosely pivoted outwardly extending swinging arms D, on one side of the outer ends of which are pivoted pendent vertical rods d, which extend down and are pivotally secured to the upper sides of the ends of the keys, respectively. Pivoted to the opposite sides of the swinging arms D are vertical upwardly-extending rods df, which are pivotally connected at their upper ends to a series of bell-cranks, E, the latter being fulcrumed in cleats c, secured to a crosspieee of the frame.

The upper ends of levers E have rods or links c loosely secured thereto, which extend inwardly and are pivoted in grooves formed in the outer ends of head-blocks F. These headblocks have an elongated slot, f, formed therein to one side of the longitudinal centers, and are provided with projecting rods f extending from their upper inner ends, in which is formed an opening, f, at one side of the center thereof and on the side opposite that of the slot f.

On the upper face oi' the cleats c are secured guide-strips e?, formed with inclined inner sides. In these guides are placed sliding blocks G, having sides inclined in an opposite direction to those of the guides in which they work, thus forming a dovetail connection, which permits only of a longitudinal move nient ot the slides. On the upper face ot the inner ends of these slides are secured the pickers Il, in such manner as to allow of their being partly rotated, and the peculiar formation of which is shown in Fig. i. The pickers consist of a small block having' a point or finger, 7L, on one side and a rounded inner side. The linger 7L has a straight and an inclined side, terminating in a sharp point, which is adapted to come in immediate contact with the wires. These pickers are loosely journaled or pivoted by having a staple or shaft extending through them at a point be tween their centers and the points 71.. They also have an opening in the opposite end, in which is placed a pin extending through the same and through the opening f in the headblock. By this arrangement it will be observed that pressure on the keys forces the IOO tion of the connection of the head-block with the picker, the latter is moved partly around, carrying the point or finger ZL back at right angles to the movement of the block, its side coming in contact with the block and its further movement thus prevented.

As the picker assumes the position referred to, the head-block and slide onwhich itis mounted is forced still farther in, the point on the picker coming in quick contact with the Wire, thus picking the same. When the pickers are beyond the wires, the springv X, located at the forward ends of the keys, or in any other suitable position, draws the slide and pickers back in front of the wire, the movement giving the finger Zz a half-turn and permitting it to escape, coming in contact with the Wire, thus placing it in a position for further use. It will be observed that the fin gers h are covered with soft leather or other suitable buffing.

The sounding-board I is placed in or near the center of the casing, and the wires are stretched from the obliquely-arranged anchorstrip t' at the bottom to the cross anchorstrip fZ at the top. These strings o r wires are arranged in precisely the same scale as those of a harp.

The arrangement of the stop or fret action is as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it consisting of a series of foot-pedals, K, preferably twelve in number, loosely fulcrumed on a cross-piece located at the bottom of the casing, their inner or rear ends extending back beyond the sounding board. The rear ends of these pedals have upwardly-extending rods 7c pivoted thereto, of varying lengths.

A series of horizontally-arranged oscillating shafts, L, are journaled one above the other in the sides of the casing. To the inner sides of these shafts are secured, in a horizontal position, a series of hangers, Z, to which the upper ends of the rods 11a are attached. On the outer sides of the shafts L are secured a series of staples, Z', having cords Z attached thereto, which extend up and have their upper ends secured in the outer ends of blocks or tilting levers M, which are mounted on cross-pieces near the upper end of the casing. To the top of these blocks or levers M is secured a series of staples, m, having links or rods m attached thereto, which extend forward and are connected to the long arm of the fret or stop lever N, which is fulcrumed to a projecting block on a central partition.

The frets O are, as shown in Fig. 5, formed of a hat piece of metal, having a V-shaped groove in their ends. They are pivoted to the end of the short arm of lever N, land eX- tend through openings formed in the partition adjacent to their respective Ywires or strings in the instrument. To throw the frets out from the wires or strings, springs P are secured to the cross-pieces directly beneath the outer ends of the levers M, thus serving to ,press the levers up and force the frets back.

As will be seen, a number of frets are operated by the same pedal, so that by the one movement the entire chromatic scale or the twelve transpositions of the scale can be made, making the instrument play in all keys-eboth sharps and flats. Vhen the frets are forced in, they imp inge against the wires, and thus perform the office of changing the vibratory length of the wires an'd consequently the pitch of the scale. The keys and pedals of my instrument are preferably colored to imitate or correspond with the keys of other keyed instruments.

It is obvious that many minor changes in the construction and arrangement of my instrument can be made and substituted for those shown and described without in the least departing from the essential principles and spirit of my invention, and such changes and modifications are hereby contemplated by me and may form the subject of separate applications for patent.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*

l. The combination, with the keys, of the Y 'of the centers thereof, the pickers connected with the head-blocks and secured to slides below the same, rods connecting the respective levers and keys, and the wires, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the casing, the wires, and keys, of the bell-crank levers mounted near the upper end of the casing, rods connecting the same with the keys, the head-blocks F, connected with the levers, the slides G, onv which the head-blocks are mounted, the guide-strips c2, the pickers H, mounted loosely on the slides and having an eccentric connection with the head-blocks, and springs for forcing the slides back, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the casing, the pedals, and keys, of rods attached to the keys, bell-crank levers connected with the rods, slides connected with the levers, pickers on the slides, head-blocks for rotating the pickers, a series of oscillating shafts connected with the pedals, a series of rocking levers located above and connected with the shafts, levers having connections with said rocking levers, frets on said levers, and springs for forcing the frets and pickers o ut, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the casing and wires, of the keys, the rods CZ, the arms D, the rods d', the levers E, the head-blocks F, connected therewith, the slides G, the guides e2, the pickers H, mounted on the slides and eccentrically connected with the head-blocks, said pickers being constructed with a rounded inner end and a finger, as h, and springs for IOO IIO

drawing the slides back, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the keys and wires, of pickers operated by the keys, consisting of a circular disk having a finger extending out therefrom and having a central and an eccentric opening therein, a slide for moving the picker forward and back, and a head-block for oscillating the same, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the casing of a musical instrument, of a series of pedals, a series of oscillating shafts connected With the pedals, a series of rocking levers mounted on a cross-piece, a connecting rod or cord between the same and the shafts, a lever having connection with said rocking lever, and frets on said lever, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

EDVIN RANSON NORCROSS.

XVitnesses C. A. GRAY, B. H. STONE. 

